The Texas district attorney charged in the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nangaray in Houston told Fox News that “the evidence is clear that a sexual assault likely occurred.”
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg confirmed on America’s Newsroom on Tuesday that one of the suspected illegal immigrants in the case, Johan Jose Martinez-Rangel, 22, is scheduled to appear in court this morning. Bail for his co-defendant, Franklin Jose Peña Ramos, 26, was set at $10 million on Monday.
“The evidence is clear that a sexual assault likely occurred, but because neither defendant has actually admitted to it, that will need to be proven circumstantial,” Ogg said. “We are currently awaiting the results of laboratory tests to see if the murder charge will be upgraded to a capital offense.”
According to Fox News correspondent Nate Foy, Peña Ramos admitted to kissing Nungaray and told prosecutors that Martinez Rangel was also physically aggressive.
The suspected illegal immigrant accused of killing Jocelyn Nangaray was wearing an ice ankle monitor.
This week, 12-year-old Jocelyn Nangaray was found strangled to death in a creek in Houston. (Courtesy of Fox Houston and the Nungarei Family)
“This case is horrific. Jocelyn’s final moments are beyond words,” Ogg told America’s Newsroom. “She endured hours of beatings. This girl had snuck out of the house to call her 13-year-old boyfriend and was spotted by two immigrants who had been drinking all afternoon, presumably asking for directions, but she was innocent. She left with them. Footage from a local store shows they lured her under a bridge near a Houston bayou, assaulted her, strangled her and dragged her body into the water.”
Ogg said Tuesday that the suspects were arrested in a “tale of pride and horror for good citizens,” and that both men are accused of entering the country illegally and then committing the murders before being released from custody.
“Witnesses close to the pair saw the news and, fearing for their own safety, contacted friends who then contacted police. Furthermore, the defendants demanded money from their boss and made up a nonsensical story to leave town and possibly the country,” Ogg said.
Bail for Jocelyn Nangaray murder suspect set at $10 million
Franklin Jose Peña Ramos will appear in court on Monday, June 24. (Crive)
“They were eligible for a large bail amount because they were a flight risk. No court has ever set bail like this in Harris County. So we’re grateful for the $10 million bail which will hopefully allow us to keep at least one of them in custody. We’ll know this morning about the other one,” she added.
Ogg described the city of Houston, Texas, as a “huge international hub” that draws people from all over the country.
Franklin Jose Peña Ramos (left) and Johan Jose Martinez Rangel are charged with murdering Jocelyn Nungaray on Monday, June 17, in Houston, Texas. (Harris County Jail)
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“Unfortunately, we’ve seen a lot of violence by illegal immigrants and a lot of victimization by other illegal immigrants and regular citizens. This is a big problem. This was waiting to happen,” she told Fox News. “This is just like, as an elected prosecutor, just waiting for something bad to happen. I’m just sickened that this little girl became an innocent victim of these two monsters.”
